Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( Shirley Ave; admission free; 10am-8pm Mon-Thu, to 5pm Fri, to 2pm Sat) For chills
with your historical thrills, stop by this pink octagon, the oldest government building down-
town. Built in 1797, it served as a jail in the 1800s but its cells are now crammed with
topics and dusty periodicals. Ask the librarian for the key to the tiny but creepy dungeon
underneath the building. The dank walls bear scratches carved on their surface - a somber
marking of days by prisoners long dead?
Pompey Museum
MUSEUM
( Bay St; adult/child/senior $3/1/2; 9:30am-4:30pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, 9:30am-1pm
Thu) Named after a Bahamian slave who led an unsuccessful rebellion, this spare but mov-
ing museum traces the harrowing 'Middle Passage' slave voyages from Africa to the Carib-
bean and Americas. Stark exhibits - a 45lb ball-and-chain, a branding iron and slave collars
- reinforce the horrors inflicted on millions of Africans between the 1500s and 1860s. The
building is located on a former slave auction site. Hours have been irregular in recent years,
so check before planning a trip.
Bahamas Historical Society Museum
MUSEUM
(
www.bahamashistoricalsociety.com
;
cnr Shirley St & Elizabeth Ave; adult/child $1/0.50;
10am-4pm Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, to noon Sat) This pink corner building has a modest
miscellany of artifacts and documents tracing the islands' history from Lucayan times to
the contemporary era. It's worth the admission merely to admire the beautiful model of the
Spanish galleon
Santa Luceno
.
Straw Market
MARKET
( Bay St; 7am-7pm) Currently undergoing renovation, this frenetic stall market has long
been the go-to place for knock-off purses, cheap souvenir t-shirts, and cheap, made-in-Ch-
ina straw goods. Tacky as can be, but fun for a browse. For Bahamian-made products and
straw goods, stay in Festival Place at the wharf.
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral
CHURCH
( King St;
www.christchurchcathedralbahamas.com
) This striking 1841 cathedral has a
splendid wood-beamed roof, stained glass and pendulous Spanish-style chandeliers. The
current structure is the fifth version. The original church was destroyed in 1684 by the
Spaniards. Its successors were leveled during the French-Spanish invasion in 1703 and by
the ravages of weather and termites.
Trinity Methodist Church
CHURCH
